Assisted Living and Special Populations: What Do We Know About Differences in Use and Potential Access Barriers?

Purpose: The purpose of this article was to review existing knowledge about assisted living (AL) use by traditionally underserved populations, including peo-ple of color, low-income people, and those living in rural communities. Design and Methods: We reviewed methodologies and findings of research on AL and residential care up to June 2004. Results: Some studies suggested that low-income people and people of color either are less likely to utilize AL or receive AL in settings with less space and amenities and/or lower scores in selected quality measures. General-izations from national or multistate studies to the population have methodological limitations. Numer-ous topics remain unstudied, including the pricing of AL, the experience of choosing an AL facility, the presence of discriminatory admission and re-tention practices, and the role of resident preferences. Data on access to AL in rural areas are inconclu-sive. Implications: We offer recommendations for national surveys to better classify supportive housing settings. Furthermore, we suggest quantitative and qualitative studies to illuminate the experience of low-income, racial/ethnic minority, and rural populations in AL settings